There are many roads across the Midwest that lead to Thompson Truck & Trailer. But within the company’s locations, all efforts are pointed in the same direction — toward doing whatever it takes to ensure its customers are successful.
“Our motto is ‘Whatever it takes to deliver what matters’ and I really think our people take that to heart,” says President Travis Thompson. “We realize we are not the biggest dealer group out there but I think there are benefits to that. We are small enough to know all of our customers and they know our business. I think that has helped us build customer relationships, and I think it helps us in being responsive to our customers’ needs.”
Thompson says he thinks customer centricity is probably what helped the second-generation family business earn its recognition as a Successful Dealer Award finalist for the first time in 2022.
“I think we were nominated because we’re a very customer-driven group. We have a drive to help our customers succeed and we go to great lengths to support them,” he says. “We’re glad to be recognized for that.”
Thompson Truck & Trailer was first known to Midwestern truck owners as Hawkeye International Trucks. Thompson’s father Dennis started in the business in 1976 as a mechanic’s helper and rose steadily, eventually buying the company in 1998. Travis joined the business that same year and together the Thompsons spent nearly two decades expanding the company’s area of operation and business capabilities while fine-tuning its go-to-market strategy.
When the business was rebranded as Thompson Truck & Trailer in 2014, it did so with a footprint of six dealer locations (five in Iowa, one in Illinois), three Goodyear tire and retread facilities and a workforce of more than 200. Travis Thompson says many of those associates are still with the company.
[RELATED: Finalists selected for 2022 Successful Dealer Award]
